When it comes to which form of search engine marketing is most effective, the argument between search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click (PPC) advertising can become as passionate and heated as a political debate. If you’re new to search engine marketing, it is easy to get overwhelmed and lost in the sea of opinions on both sides.

Some experts believe that you get more out of paying for the targeted traffic that comes to your Web site from a PPC advertising campaign, while others point out that SEO is free and brings more traffic to your Web site. Luckily, there is one thing that the experts all agree on: if your company has a Web site, you need a way for potential customers to find you onsearch engines such as Google® and Yahoo!®.

The fact is, there is a place for both PPC and SEO in a robust search engine marketing plan – both are integral and imperative, with their own distinct advantages. In this whitepaper we will discuss the pros and cons of both, and help you understand the ideal relationship between the two.

Search Engine Optimization

When a Web user goes to a search engine and types in a word or phrase (also known as “keywords”) then clicks “enter”, they are served a “results page,” which shows both “paid results” (PPC advertising) and “organic results”. Paid results traditionally show up on the right hand side or top of the search results page, and have the term “sponsor results” alongside them. Organic results appear in the center of the search results page, and are numbered. SEO refers to organic results only.

SEO is the process of developing your Web site so that it can be searched and indexed by search engines such as Google® and Yahoo!®. Ultimately, this searching and indexing will result in higher rankings for your Web site when someone searches on a keyword or keyword phrases related to your industry or business.

SEO is particularly important for e-commerce sites. However, SEO isn’t something that is easily picked up by newcomers to the search engine marketing scene. Due to the fact that copywriting, design and HTML skills all play a factor in SEO, there is a steep learning curve — yet one that can produce serious results as 70% of all online searchers click on “organic” results verses pay per click ads*. Keep in mind that SEO isn’t a quick fix to get traffic to your Web site, as it can be a long process with increased results for your Web site in the search engine listings generally showing around the fifth month of optimization.

Here is a quick view of the pros and cons of SEO:

SEO Pros

• Time – Rankings can remain long after the optimization has been completed.
• Cost – You don’t pay every time someone clicks on your listing.
• Trust/Branding – People often trust “natural” listings more then they do paid listings.
• Branding – The higher ranked you are in the natural search results the more credible people (and the search engines) perceive you to be.

SEO Cons

• Cost – SEO requires larger up front costs than PPC.
• Unpredictable – Ranking can change quickly as search engine algorithms change or competition increases.
• Competition – Competition can be brutal for certain keywords. Some marketers even
• resort to unethical practices to ensure they are in the top position.
• Targeting – Targeting is a little trickier, especially geographical targeting, with SEO.
• Changes – Obtaining consistent top rankings will require constant monitoring and
• tweaks to your site.

SEO is complex and the methods for achieving top rankings change often. So what can you do in order to increase traffic to your Web site while you are waiting for your SEO campaign to bear fruit? This is where PPC advertising comes in.

Pay Per Click Advertising

Going back to the search results page, as stated above, pay per click ads appear in the right and top part of the search results page. PPC advertising allows you to choose as many relevant search terms as you want and advertise on them. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad, and you are allowed to bid how much you would like to pay per click – thus the name.

The beauty of PPC is that it can be live within minutes of setting it up. You can literally drive traffic to your Web site in the same hour that you open a PPC account – it’s that fast! Another benefit is that you pay only when someone actually clicks on your ad – you don’t pay per eyeball or impression like most traditional forms of advertising. Here’s a quick run down of the pros and cons of PPC:

PPC Pros

• Calculation – PPC is easily measured. Marketers are able to get raw numbers within seconds. Return on investment (ROI) and cost per acquisition (CPA) are easy to calculate.
• Cost – You only pay when someone clicks on your ad.
• Speed – Everything about PPC is done fairly fast. The campaign can be running in less than a day.
• Control – You have total control of what the searcher sees when they view your ad or click through to your site.
• Timing – You can set up your ads to only run when you want them to.
• Targeted – You can easily hit your target audience by using the proper keywords and ad copy.

PPC Cons

• Expense – A PPC campaign can be expensive it if isn’t monitored correctly.
• Click Fraud – There is always a risk of getting unethical clicks.

However easy it seems, there are nuances to learn about PPC advertising. PPC advertising has a learning curve – albeit much shorter than SEO – and it’s important not to rush into anything without learning how. A complex algorithm that takes into consideration your bid, your ad’s relevance and a number of other factors actually determines in what placement your ad will be seen on the page, and the better placement you have, the better chance you have at quality clicks that convert.

In addition, without the right account structure, ad copy, and landing page choice, you may pay more money per click than your competitors. Without the correct budget set daily and monthly, you could either miss out on most of your best traffic or allow your spending to go out of control while you’re not looking.

PPC versus SEO — Which is the Right Choice?

PPC and SEO are two fantastic ways to drive traffic to your Web site, and are ideally suited to use together. PPC advertising can fill in the gaps for your SEO. During the five or so months that you are optimizing and waiting for results, you can drive most of your traffic via PPC ads. Once your optimization has taken place, you can use your PPC ads to highlight any special offers or new products that you have and to target all of the keywords that your search engine optimization wasn’t focused on.

You should never put all your marketing dollars in one basket—it’s too risky.

• If you have high organic rankings but no paid ads, then you are letting your PPC-savvy competitors steal traffic from you because a large percentage of potential customers will click on paid ads too.
• If your organic rankings suddenly take a dive due to search engine algorithm changes and you don’t have a PPC campaign then you are suddenly invisible in the SERP’s (search engine results pages). Granted you can start PPC at any time, but if you aren’t familiar with it, it can take some time (even for a professional) to figure out the most effective PPC strategy for your site.
• If you only focus on paid listings, you are missing out on the 70% of traffic that goes to organic rankings. Also, research indicates that many customers put a higher “trust” level on organic rankings since many customers are aware that sponsored ads are paid for. You may find that your conversion rate for organic rankings is higher than that of your PPC campaign.
• If you only focus on paid listings and suddenly a competitor enters the PPC market with a big budget that you can’t compete with, then you are going to lose your placement and now you are looking at 3-5 months before you can counter that with organic rankings.

Use SEO and PPC together for the most effective marketing strategy

Organic SEO is a great long-term investment that everyone who is serious about their Web site should invest in, but PPC can start driving traffic right away. Smart customers will use this to their benefit and begin SEO and PPC at the same time to get traffic to their Web site right away, while waiting for organic rankings to rise. Once you’ve obtained strong organic rankings, you can reduce your PPC spending, but you shouldn’t stop it altogether.

Regardless of what tactic you choose, implementing any search engine marketing campaign requires learning and time, which is why many companies outsource it. If you’d prefer to have a professional manage your SEO or PPC campaigns, Network Solutions can help. Our online marketing experts have been professionally trained and are here to help you navigate the sometimes confusing, but often beneficial world of online marketing. To speak to a Network Solutions search expert, call 1-877-438-8599.

About Network Solutions®

Network Solutions, a leading provider of Web solutions and the pioneer of the domain name registration service, draws on decades of experience to make it quick and affordable for customers to build and manage an online presence. Our full range of Web-related services includes:

• Web hosting
• Web design
• E-commerce software
• Search engine marketing
• SSL Certificates
• E-mail services
• Domain name registration

Network Solutions® backs its products and services with free, award-winning customer service named “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience” by J.D. Power and Associates. A quick e-mail or toll-free call for help will be answered promptly by a trained Network Solutions® Customer Support Representative — 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

For more information, please visit http://www.networksolutions.com or visit our new Online Marketing blog.